Live report THE HIVES, YARD ACT & SPIRITUAL CRAMP, Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg – December 3rd, 2025

Their Majesties have arrived in Hamburg. That is the impression you get from the artwork of The Hives’ new album. Dressed in kinglike robes and wearing crowns, the five guys aren’t the kings of Sweden, but they’ve been among the greats of Swedish rock music since the early ’90s.

Currently on tour to promote their latest studio album, The Hives Forever Forever the Hives, the five-piece band from Sweden’s east coast will end their tour with a home game finale in Stockholm on December 6th but today is Hamburg on the list.

Before the evening receives a royal flourish, two other bands will perform. We will start the night with Spiritual Cramp. The band recently released their second studio album, “Rude, ” and tunes like “Go Back Home” are on the setlist tonight.

Hailing from San Francisco, California, Spiritual Cramp’s music blends rock with a punk attitude and an indie spirit. It’s an electrifying mix that results in songs perfect for live shows. Throughout their entire set, Spiritual Cramp spreads infectious energy, driven by the enthusiastic stage presence of frontman Mike Bingham. The six-piece band from California made the most of their 35 minutes, putting on an engaging performance that the audience clearly enjoyed. I could imagine the band won over a few more fans tonight.

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The next band in the lineup is Yard Act, a group I hadn’t heard of before. The four-piece band was founded in 2019 and has released two albums, which will be the focus of tonight’s show. Yard Act’s music is rooted in rock and post-punk, which becomes apparent immediately with “Tall Tales,” the opening song of their 40-minute show. Although they have a great lyrical approach and generate some energy, the level of euphoria isn’t as high as it was during Spiritual Cramp. The songs are too similarly structured, which leads to a drop in energy in the room. Yard Act could achieve excellent chart positions with their two albums, but tonight, it isn’t an unforgettable wow moment for many attendees at the Alsterdorfer Sporthalle.

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Five balloons serve as the backdrop to announce the headliner. The Hives deliver high-quality studio albums, mirroring the impressive standard set by many Swedish bands. However, they are at their best when playing live. This has to do with their high-energy songs and stage presence. The Hives approach a show as a holistic experience that encompasses more than just music. Music is the foundation, but the guys also entertain with a broader approach.

The five band members dress the same way. Their tuxedos, enhanced tonight by light effects, create an impression of seriousness and maturity, contrasting with the wild and untamed energy they produce on stage.

At the center of it all is frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, who is both the singer and a great entertainer. He is constantly moving around the stage. Fans can enjoy him kicking and jumping around for 90 minutes tonight, and he is the role model for this on stage. His antics are unique and define the band’s live shows.

Tonight, everyone at the Alsterdorfer Sporthalle gets the full The Hives experience, starting with “Enough Is Enough,” the opener of their latest album. The fans go wild right away, and when Almqvist walks down the stairs into the pit during “Walk Idiot Walk,” the fans in the front row enjoy an even more intense thrill. There is literally no distance between the fans and the singer, and they both enjoy the connection. This “close to the action” experience, including the speeches between songs, is very much appreciated by everyone in the room tonight. Almqvist is not only a good singer, but he also likes to talk to the fans and encourage them. Looking at the clapping and singing during songs like “Hate to Say I Told You So” shows that a stronger party vibe is present tonight.

Sometimes the speeches get a bit too long, like during the introduction of the band members, but listening to all the exaggerated, and sometimes senseless stories is part of a The Hives show. The banter between songs leads to more than a few laughs.

The Hives have nothing to do with the often-referenced “Swedish humbleness. The band plays high-octane rock from start to finish, which fans can enjoy tonight. After a long tour, the band delivers an excellent rock show. As Almqvist states with a twinkle in his eye, it’s the best The Hives show of the tour, as the other shows were not as good as the one in Hamburg tonight. There are many kings and queens in rock music, and The Hives showed tonight why they belong to this group, which goes far beyond their chosen dress code on the “The Hives Forever Forever The Hives” artwork.